astronomer
Americannoun
-
astronomers
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of astronomer
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; see origin at astronomy, -er 1
Explanation
A scientist who studies the objects in the sky, including planets, galaxies, black holes, and stars, is called an astronomer. These days, the terms astronomer and astrophysicist are used interchangeably, to talk about any physicist who specializes in celestial bodies and the forces that affect them. Astronomers use telescopes and cameras to observe the stars and other objects in the sky, and they often use complicated math to make predictions and solve puzzles about their movements and locations. The Greek root, astronomia, literally means "star arrangement."
Vocabulary lists containing astronomer
Occupations
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astro, aster
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Space Science (Astronomy) - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It is named after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble who first discovered that the universe is expanding.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
For comparison, it’s estimated that SpaceX has roughly 11,100 working Starlink satellites, according to data from the astronomer Jonathan McDowell.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 20, 2026
Among the higher-profile entries are “Pete Townshend: Behind Blue Eyes,” a portrait of the Who guitarist and songwriter, and Nanette Burstein’s “Carl Sagan: We Are Made of Star Stuff,” about the astronomer and science communicator.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
“When you have that level of anxiety over the clouds, it juices the experience,” Elliot Borgman, a 77-year-old retired astronomer from Lansdowne, Penn., told me over breakfast the morning after August’s eclipse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
One of her key contacts was F. J. M. Stratton, a famous English astronomer, so short and round and jolly that he reminded people of Santa Claus.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
As a result, astronomers will not be able to directly watch the distance between the black holes decrease.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
The discovery offers a new way to understand the atmospheric conditions of distant worlds and could help astronomers investigate planets far beyond our Solar System.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
The achievement highlights how much information astronomers can extract from seemingly tiny amounts of light.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
Stargazers and astronomers are preparing to enjoy a festival that celebrates the beauty of the night sky.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Some astronomers now think that a series of similar conjunctions at the time of the birth of Jesus may have been the phenomenon known as the ‘star of Bethlehem’.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
